The University of Manchester is trying something new in the name of political correctness, posting signs on the restroom doors that say "toilets with urinals," and "toilets."

The signs are simply stuck over the universal symbol of a male, with his pant legs and a female, with the traditional triangular dress. This way, they say, transgender people will be able to choose which restroom to use with out feeling obligated to comply to being a gender they do not identify with.

Discussion about homosexuality and transexuality is rare – or nonexistent – in Santiago public high schools, according to a study released last week by the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MOVILH), one of Chile's leading sexual-minorities advocacy groups. The study also confirmed that prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities are common realities within educational communities.

Recently we had the opportunity to speak with Isis King from America's Next Top Model. Isis a 22 year old program assistant at a non profit organization, who currently resides in New York competed and was recently eliminated from the show. She is the first transgendered model to be one of the contestants on Americas Next Top Model.

Excerpt: Transgenderism refers to gender identity: Who does one understand oneself to be? Homosexuality, bisexuality and heterosexuality all refer to sexual orientation: To whom is one sexually attracted?

Transgender citizens may or may not be gay. Children as young as preschoolers have self-identified as transgender. Psychiatry and the related sciences have been unsuccessful in truly altering a transgender identity. Transgenderism, like homosexuality, is not a choice.

You might expect that anybody who has had a sex change, or even just cross-dresses on occasion, would suffer a wage cut because of social stigmatization. Wrong, or at least partly wrong. Turns out it depends on the direction of the change: the study found that earnings for male-to-female transgender workers fell by nearly one-third after their gender transitions, but earnings for female-to-male transgender workers increased slightly.

What I do is simple: I teach men to become better women. I run a school whose entire curriculum is about transformation – physical and mental. Almost everyone who comes here has had cross-dressing urges since childhood; I help them to act on these feelings, with style.

Last week I received an email from the Human Rights Campaign informing me that Joe Biden will be speaking at the the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner on October 4th, 2008. Since that time I've expected to hear about an organized protest of this event from the transgender activist community in Washington D.C.

[UK]A streetcar painted pinkTHERE WAS ONE PLAY BY Tennessee Williams, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of such American classics as A Streetcar Named Desire, which he never wanted performed in his lifetime. It was And Tell Sad Stories of the Death of Queens, with its central character of a transvestite who brings a sailor home in the hope of seducing him.It was Williams's only openly homosexual play. Central character Candy was based on Candy Darling, a friend of his and one of several transsexuals who worked in Andy Warhol's art factory and starred in his 1968 film Flesh. It is set in New Orleans' steamy French quarter.

[USA]Candy Darling (1944 – 1974) actressJames Lawrence Slattery, Jr. was raised in Massapequa Park, Long Island, New York by his divorced mother, who worked as a bookkeeper at Manhattan's Jockey Club, and later at the local telephone company.He won a 'Most Beautiful Baby' contest - but, because of a mistake by his mother, as a girl. For a while he ran a Kim Novak Fan Club. When he was 17, his mother confronted him with the rumors that he had been seen in a local gay bar in drag. He left the room and returned en femme.

[Brasil]Em depoimento travesti declara que Ronaldo é covardeDepois de não ter sido localizado por duas vezes pela justiça, finalmente Ronaldo foi encontrado e intimado a depor. O Fenômeno passou a tarde desta sexta-feira (26) no Tribunal de Justiça depondo na ação em que o Ministério Público acusa a travesti Andréia Albertini de extorsão.[Uganda] Ugandan activists detained in "pattern of police harassment"Two human rights advocates in Uganda were held for a week without charges after police accused them of "recruiting homosexuals."New York-based Human Rights Watch said the illegal detention of George "Georgina" Oundo and "Brenda" Kiiza was part of "a pattern of police harassment of LGBT people in Uganda."[México] Una travesti golpeada en San José del CaboUna travesti ha aparecido muy golpeada y casi inconsciente en la calle, como si hubiese sido arrojada de un vehículo en marcha.[Philippines] Name and Gender ChangeA recent decision of the Supreme Court has cleared the way for an individual to have her female name and gender changed to male. In Republic v. Cagandahan, GR No. 166676, Sept. 12, 2008), the High Tribunal affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court granting the Petition for Correction of Entries in Birth Certificate of one Jennifer B. Cagandahan, diagnosed to have Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), a rare medical condition where afflicted persons possess both male and female characteristics, to change her name to Jeff Cagandahan and her gender to male.[GA. USA] Male? Female? Yes. No. Maybe.Transgender identities cross a fluid spectrum, causing confusion for some, freedom for others

[USA] [Film] "Raquela" a fascinating, nonjudgmental portraitFire meets ice as a transsexual from the Philippines tries to adjust to life in Iceland in "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela."[DC, USA] Hate on the rise?Gay man's beating death unites Local community[USA] [Blog/People/Television] Swimsuit jitters sink Isis on 'Top Model''Until I have my gender reassignment surgery, there's some things I have to do extra that the other girls don't have to. I have on, like, three pairs of undergarments just in case the tape did peel off because of the water. I'm so nervous about that.''Isis: "I'm Happy I Made An Impact"From the minute it was announced that Isis, a transgendered 22-year-old, would be competing on this cycle of "America's Next Top Model," everyone had an opinion - no one more than her housemates. But as she tells me the day after she was eliminated from the competition, the good far outweighs the bad.

[UK] [Film] Short film about a transgender to be screened in LondonA short film about a transgender has been selected for screening at the Ritzy Cinema, Brixton, London in November this year. Prasanth Kanathur has made this film titled Nashtavarnnangal (Missing colours).[Turkey] Turkish transsexual singer faces army accusationsA popular Turkish transsexual singer who infuriated the country's powerful armed forces by questioning a military campaign against Kurdish separatists told a court on Wednesday she would rather die than be silent.

[Taiwan] [Commentary] Editorial: Cloud hangs over Taiwan Pride ParadeTomorrow the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and their supporters will take to the streets for the Sixth Taiwan Pride Parade. Last year's LGBT parade was reportedly the largest in Asia, attracting more than 15,000 people, which demonstrates a growing awareness of the marginalization of these groups.However, although Taiwan's homosexual community has made great strides, the transgender, and specifically transsexual, community still has a long way to go in gaining acceptance.Last October, the Ministry of the Interior issued an executive order that female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals cannot change their national ID cards until they have fully transitioned from one gender to another, in other words, completed genital reconstruction.[Cambodia] Transexual triumphs over gender adversityFrom an early age Leang Sothea knew she was different, but since having a sex-change operation in 2006 she hasn't looked back (Photo)

[Indonesia] Muslim school opens doors to Indonesian tranvestitesWearing headscarves and reciting the Koran, students at an Indonesian Islamic school look like ordinary women practising their faith in the holy month of Ramadan, but they are actually transvestites.[Australia] New push to clear Denis TannerTHE Supreme Court has been asked to order new probes into the deaths of Jennifer Tanner and transsexual prostitute Adele Bailey.[Argentina]

The London Transfeminist Group is meeting this Thursday, 25th of September, in order for those planning to protest the invitation of controversial American-Canadian doctor, Kenneth Zucker, to keynote the Royal Society of Medicine's discussion on treatment of transgendered adolescents on October 1st.

MOVILH carried out the study in cooperation with Chile's Teachers Association; the MERCOSUR Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network (a group comprising sexual-minorities advocacy groups, including MOVILH, from member countries of the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR); global educators union federation Education International; and Spanish organizations Cooperación Extremeña and Fundación Triángulo.

Atenção especial ao filme XXY, às 22h na sala 1, e ao documentário She's a boy i knew às 19h15m na sala 3[USA] [Blog/Commentary] Transgender Human Rights Activists Arrested in UgandaPlease take action to protest the detention and intimidation by police of Oundo George and Kiiza Brendah, transgender human rights activists in Uganda who were arrested at home for allegedly attempting to "recruit people to homosexuality." This is a spurious charge that does not exist in Uganda's Civil Code, though homosexuality is illegal and freedom of gender identity is not recognized. Oundo George and Kiiza Brendah were held without cause for seven days and upon release were ordered to return to the police station on September 24."[España] PSOE y PNV negocian en el Congreso los requisitos para que los transexuales se puedan cambiar de nombre en el DNIEl PSOE y PNV están negociando en el Congreso de los Diputados una iniciativa parlamentaria, que se votará en el Pleno de mañana, sobre los requisitos que se deben exigir a los transexuales que desean cambiar de nombre en el Registro Civil y en el DNI.[Turkey] [News/Commentary] Fact, Fantasy, And Farce As More Are Detained In Ergenekon ProbeExcerpt: Those detained on September 18 included Nurseli Idiz, one of Turkey's leading actresses, and a transsexual showbiz manager and function organizer called Seyhan Soylu ... were released on September 21 without being charged.[Nepal] Nepalese lesbian recognised as "third gender"A lesbian in Kathmandu, Nepal has been recognised as "third gender" on an official identity card.The term "third gender" has been used in the country to refer to gay men, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender people.[India] Transgenders lay seige to govt hospitalA group of transgenders today laid siege to the government hospital here protesting denial of treatment to a eunuch suffering from HIV.[México] Hay un transexual por cada 30 mil habitantes, calculan especialistas de la UNAMSobre la homosexualidad, Selma González, del Programa de Sexualidad Humana de la Facultad de Psicología dijo que brota de una variación en los cromosomas y está vinculada a los genes, por lo que no son una opción ni una patología.[Argentina] Nació varón y llevará nombre de mujer en su DNI sin operarseTiene 25 años, es de Mar del Plata y desde los 15 años viste ropa de mujer. Desde entonces, se autobautizó Tania, nombre que ahora llevará en su documento. "Este fallo soluciona mi vida", dice, y sueña con estudiar Medicina.[USA] [Blog/Commentary] Justice Delayed, Denied And DisgracefulIt seems that no matter where we live or what decade we're talking about, when the justice system concerns transwomen of color, justice is delayed, denied, and disgraceful.[HI, USA] Bulls-eye on bullyingExcerpt: Youth who are being bullied risk further harm if they try to fight back, she said, and should instead confide in an adult - a parent, teacher or neighbor, who can help them see that the behavior isn't their fault. Students perceived as gay, lesbian or transgendered are especially at risk of being bullied."When victims stand up for themselves, it actually escalates the violence that the bullies use," she said.

[USA] [Blog/Law] Landmark federal decision on transgender employment discrimination: Schroer v. BillingtonThe Federal District Court for the District of Columbia issued a landmark ruling on Friday in the lawsuit by Diane Schroer against the Library of Congress. While there have been a number of rulings in favor of transgender plaintiffs under the federal sex discrimination statute, this is the first time a court has ruled that sex includes gender identity. Interestingly, I have a law review planned on this very subject for the Spring in Temple Political and Civil Rights Law Review

Excerpt: Famous transsexual Seyhan Soylu, also known as Sisi, was also detained in Thursday's raids. Soylu had once referred to herself as the "unsung hero" of an unarmed military intervention against a coalition government in 1997 on grounds that the leading coalition party was eroding secularism in the country.

SUNIL Babu Pant likes to take advantage of the frequent delays at Nepal's newly elected Constituent Assembly. As the only openly gay member, he takes every opportunity to work on his homophobic colleagues, trying to convince them that contrary to what they were taught growing up in this very conservative country, homosexuals are just like any other people.

It has recently come to the knowledge of the members of the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP) that it is now customary for Hong Kong (HK) immigration officials to detain Filipina transgender/transsexual (trans) women at the HK airport.

In a unique first-of-its-kind move in India, the Cuddalore district administration in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu has proposed to establish model villages to rehabilitate members of the transgender community. Tamil Nadu is the only state in India that has given a gender status to transsexuals.

For those who don't remember, Diane Schroer was told she was going to be hired by the U.S. Library Of Congress, and saw the decision to employ her rescinded after she told her hiring agent she was going to transition from male-to-female in the workplace.

Q: Oh my God! I just don't know what I am going to do. I think I have made a huge mistake and I don't know what to do about it. I saw a TV program the other night about people that had transgendered and then decided to go back to their original gender. Well, I couldn't believe that there was any one else out there like me. I, too, feel like I made a big mistake by having a gender change. I was born female and always thought I wanted to be a boy and also believed I would be happier if I were one. I truly thought that God had made a mistake with me.

Por iniciativa do Bloco de Esquerda no próximo dia 10 Outubro, a Assembleia da República discutirá a alteração do artigo 1577 do Código Civil de forma a alargar a possibilidade do casamento civil a pessoas do mesmo sexo.

Excerpt: By word of mouth alone, the first issue of Bekhsoos got more than 6,000 hits from countries as far away as Australia, the United States and Great Britain; and as close as Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The first opinion piece, Transsexuals on TV, was one of the more popular articles of the first edition, and as the author Nadz writes, "Lebanese TV stations feature shows on the life of transsexuals in which they depict them as freaks of nature only to up their ratings and attract viewers."

A top court's verdict allowing a female-turned-male transgender to legally change sex opened a new world for these people, an epoch-making ruling acknowledging that mental and social factors should also be considered in deciding a person's gender.